NEGLECT OF TUBERCULOSIS-INCIDENCE IN GERM ANY

Background: Tuberculosis is still a health problem. Due to an increasi ng number of immunosuppressed patients the probability of getting infe cted with tuberculosis in the hospital rises up. Subjects and Methods: For prevention of infections, medical students play a critical role: Firstly, because of bedside-teaching in the hospital, medial students are at risk of getting infected with tuberculosis. Secondly, immediate ly after university training, it is expected that they are capable to diagnose tuberculosis. The following study analysed the incidence-esti mation of medical students (n = 278) of tuberculosis-morbidity and tub erculosis-mortality in Germany. Results: It becomes obvious, that medi cal students still have gaps in their knowledge about tuberculosis. Th ey underestimated the incidence of tuberculosis and they overestimated the mortality of tuberculosis. Conclusion: The study indicates a misp erception of relevant health problems which may be due to the study si tuation at German Medical Schools. Medical students need more informat ion and counselling about epidemiology of infectious diseases includin g tuberculosis.